The invention relates to a belt retractor for incorporating in a fold-down type backrest which can be latched to the vehicle body in the upright seating position by a lock, including a belt reel rotatably mounted in a frame and a blocking mechanism for selectively blocking rotation of the belt reel on the frame.
When the belt retractor is not secured directly to the vehicle body but to a backrest the belt forces are introduced into the vehicle body via the backrest and its anchorage. A fold-down type backrest needs to be latched to the vehicle body so that it can take the belt forces and transfer them into the vehicle body. Latching a fold-down type backrest to the vehicle body is done by means of a lock which automatically locks in place on attaining the upright seating position of the backrest.